


Future Remembrances

by dontknowcats



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, tbh i haven't written either of them yet, this is just a reach based on a dream
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-10-08 17:41:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10392324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontknowcats/pseuds/dontknowcats
Summary: Aloy returns to Mother's Embrace weeks after leaving as a seeker and the one she fondly remembers is there to greet her.





	

The wind was cool and gentle against her skin, almost celebrated after the rough, dry air of the Carja deserts. It had been weeks since Aloy had been near Mother’s Embrace, and she welcomed the sight of lush greenery and the creeks that wrinkled the land.

She had been alone, an outsider once more among the Carja and Oseram that sprinkled the mostly-barren desert outside of Meridian, but she had a mission to carry out for her people. Her people… it still felt wrong to say, and it would burn her tongue for a while longer.

Still, Aloy had more important things on her mind.

As she went through the repetitious task of overriding a strider, her mind went back to the Proving.

The night before, Vala had treated her with the kind of respect she had only seen given to other members of the Nora. Her words had been laced with something akin to excitement during their banter after Aloy had confronted Bast for being, as Vala had put it, a “lard.”

When trying to rest on the comfortable bed provided for her, Aloy found it to be too soft, noisy, too distracting. It made her uncomfortable enough to have snapped at Vala, which she quickly found herself to regret. She had wanted to apologize, but the other girl had turned away before she could.

Everything seemed fine the next day however, based on how Vala had slapped her on the back as they walked with the rest of the Proving hopefuls towards the grounds.

“Excited?” She had asked.

“Trying to be more focused than anything,” Aloy admitted. It had been difficult to pay attention to anything but her new acquaintance. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen another girl before. In fact, this wasn’t the first time she had met Vala. But something felt different. She felt a little sick.

“Oh, so you’re actually nervous?” Vala asked with a grin.

Aloy could tell that she was just teasing her, and she felt her cheeks grow warm. “No, but you should be,” she replied with the same annoying smile.

The two had been almost tied at the end of the Proving, but Aloy had won.

She shook her head before the rest of the memories of that day could hit. She wasn’t going to think about that right then.

Aloy rode the remaining distance to Mother’s Heart to allow herself enough energy to barter with the merchants and endure the eventual socialization that was to happen at the large village.  
The Nora seemed startled by the sight of a strider with a rider, enough that before she even reached the gates Aloy opted to leave the machine behind. No doubt if she had ridden up on it, the former war chief would have insulted her even more than he used to.

She passed through the gates on foot and made her way towards the traveling merchant, glad that she caught him inside the gates. She pulled her satchel around, letting it rest against her chest as she dug through it for the odds and ends she had pulled off of machines.

As she collected her well-earned metal shards from the merchant, she heard foot steps closing in behind her.

“Aloy!”

Vala’s arms wrapped tightly around her stomach, surprising the redhead to the point that she almost dropped her shards.

“V-Vala! What are you doing?” She asked, pulling herself free so she could fix her satchel back onto her back.

“I heard a few whispers around the village a few minutes ago about a certain outcast-turned-seeker returning. Obviously I had to come see you and thank you for helping my mother and brother get back home,” the Nora Brave explained.

“It wasn’t a problem,” Aloy said, smiling as she watched Vala’s expression soften.

The two stood in silence for a few seconds as they got lost in thought. Aloy then realized how heavy her weapons and other items had become. She felt sluggish, her lack of sleep finally taking over.

“Do you want to go the lodge?” Vala asked, noticing her friend’s sudden lack of energy.

“Too loud.” Aloy shook her head. “I think I’ll stay back in the cabin.”

“Cabin?”

“Rost’s,” she said, her voice softer than before. She hadn’t been since the Proving, knowing that it would be hard, but it was one of the reasons she had returned to the Embrace.

“I’ll come with you,” Vala said, “I know you’re really great at keeping yourself safe, but you don’t look very well right now.”

Aloy glanced away, considering if she wanted Vala to see her at Rost’s. She wouldn’t be able to keep up her strong facade, but this was the girl who had dragged her to the High Matriarchs after the proving.

Vala wouldn’t judge her.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, sorry for being gone for so long to only return with a different fandom! I hope that the long hiatus hasn't ruined my writing /too/ much.
> 
> If you have any critiques or comments, please don't hesitate! <3


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